


a minor interruption (for everyone's best interest)

by JazzGirl123



Category: The Walking Dead (Telltale Video Game)
Genre: Gen, this is entirely self indulgent with no real plot in mind tbh
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-02-20
Updated: 2020-02-20
Packaged: 2021-02-27 19:40:20
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,434
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22811116
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/JazzGirl123/pseuds/JazzGirl123
Summary: For a moment, she just stayed at the top, looking over at the snowy horizon. In another world, it might have been beautiful; this place might even have been a neat place for a field trip with her classmates.Now the place was just a lookout for walkers; somewhere she and Jane threatened some young guy over medicine he needed for his sister. She wondered if she made the right choice, giving the bag back to Arvo; she knew what Bonnie and the others probably would have wanted, but the idea of stealing from someone like that just didn’t sit right with her.The last time her group stole fresh supplies too-good-to-be-true, she got kidnapped by a weird, delusional man, and she truly hoped that was the last time it would happen because with the exception of Kenny, she doubted anyone in this ragtag team would go to such great lengths to help her.She doubted anyone still alive would.
Comments: 3
Kudos: 18





	a minor interruption (for everyone's best interest)

**Author's Note:**

> one of these days I'm going to write something and continue it as a series with a coherent plot....but not today lmao

How in the  _ world  _ did she get into this mess?

Everything the last few days had been a huge blur, and yet she felt like she had aged about ten years. Was this why old people were always so tired? 

Omid gone, Christa gone, half the cabin group gone; Kenny here physically, but checked out emotionally. 

Never before had she wanted to go home so badly, back to her treehouse, back to when she knew death couldn’t touch her quite yet; to where she would meet-

Clementine shook her head, pulling her coat tighter around her as she heaved herself up the stairs to the gift shop’s deck, having seen Jane around here somewhere.

For a moment, she just stayed at the top, looking over at the snowy horizon. In another world, it might have been beautiful; this place might even have been a neat place for a field trip with her classmates.

Now the place was just a lookout for walkers; somewhere she and Jane threatened some young guy over medicine he needed for his sister. She wondered if she made the right choice, giving the bag back to Arvo; she knew what Bonnie and the others probably would have wanted, but the idea of stealing from someone like that just didn’t sit right with her. 

The last time her group stole fresh supplies too-good-to-be-true, she got kidnapped by a weird, delusional man, and she truly hoped that was the last time it would happen because with the exception of Kenny, she doubted anyone in this ragtag team would go to such great lengths to help her.

She doubted anyone still alive would.

Clementine sighed, turning her back onto the horizon. It was what it was; life was… _ funny  _ like that.

All of a sudden, there was a loud thump, like something had fallen, and she whipped around to peer into the gift shop’s interior.

She sincerely hoped it wasn’t a walker; for whatever reason, this group refused to give her some sort of weapon and yet expected her to be alright with them constantly sending her out into the open fields alone. Maybe it was because they still couldn’t decide if she was a kid or a threat.

Still, it was best to know for certain what she was dealing with, so swallowing down her nerves, she inched forward, trying to spot whatever was in the shop before they spotted  _ her _ .

Oh, there on the floor; she could see some shattered glass scattered around and from the white specs and little soldier in a puddle of bright blue water, she could guess it had been some sort of snow globe.

It was a shame how many nice things this world seemed to break.

Biting her lip, Clementine peered around the corner, ducking back just as quickly when she spotted a pair of boots a little too close for her liking.

“Who’s there?” Someone called out, the sound of glass crunching under their boot nearly more deafening than the blood pounding in her ears. “Hello?”

She should have revealed herself or snuck away, but she found herself paralyzed; her chest felt tight, and she felt lightheaded all of a sudden.

“Look, I don’t want any trouble; I don’t mean harm!”

Of course he didn’t; he never did, as long as Clementine knew him.

Eyes full of tears, surging hot and ready to fall, she stood to her full height (which wasn’t very tall at all) and gave the man in front of her a shaky smile.

“I’m right here,” she announced, holding her hands up.

“...Clementine?”

She fought back a shaky laugh; her name had never sounded so sweet.

“Hi, Lee.”

The man in front of her, the man who had saved her life more times than she could count, covered his mouth, eyes shining.

“Clementine!”

She sobbed, feeling the weight of the world lift from her shoulders as Lee dashed straight for her, sweeping her into his embrace without a second thought. 

Burying her face in his shoulder, she felt him rub circles into the small of her back with his one good (or rather only) hand.

“I missed you,” she murmured into his jacket. It was a different one than the brown one he had worn around at the motel, but it felt just as warm.

“I missed you too, sweet pea.” He pulled back only ever so briefly just to kiss the side of her head, and she let out a long breath that sounded more like another sob. 

She didn’t care if it was a dream, or if she was dead and in heaven now (because heaven is the only place where he would be). 

All that mattered at that moment was being in her father’s presence again.

“How are you?” She still had to ask, her words slightly muffled from her refusal to move. “I thought…I thought the walkers got you. Oh! Oh, oh my god, I just left you-”

“Because I asked you to,” interrupted Lee, shaking his head. “I asked you to do the impossible, and that wasn’t fair of me. I’m so sorry, sweet pea-” and she sobbed again, because god, did she miss that, “-I should have never put the weight of that decision on your shoulders. I can’t imagine what you’ve been through since then.”

He slowly put her back on the ground, placing his hand on the top of her head as he kneeled down to her level.

“I promise to tell you everything that’s happened since we last saw each other, if you’d like, but first, please answer me this: what are you doing out here all alone?”

And that was when Clementine started crying all over again, telling him everything that had happened since she left him: losing Omid, losing the baby, Christa shutting her out and then disappearing, supposedly dead; being locked up, thrown together with the people from the cabin after just trying to get some sleep; reuniting with Kenny, being chased by the cabin group’s problems.

She told him all of it, and not once did he let her go or take his eyes off of her; she almost forgot what it meant to be looked at by someone who genuinely cared.

“Oh, Clementine, I’m so sorry.” Lee brushed some of the curls from her face. “You shouldn’t have had to gone through any of that; hopefully, you won’t have to again, at least not alone...that is, if you would like-”

“ _ Yes _ .” 

She wiped her face; it wasn’t even a question, not for her.

“They’re just  _ strangers _ to me, Lee. They’re going to leave me the second they can, I know it.”

Lee nodded, fixing her hat, and it made her want to start crying again; she had to get a hold of her emotions, she knew, but it felt impossible.

“Then it’s settled. We’ll find Kenny and go off on our own, okay? Just like before.”

It sounded perfect, just like she wanted, except there was one nagging feeling in the back of her mind.

“Can...can we at least stay until Rebecca has her baby? I think the stress of us leaving would be bad for her…”

Smiling, Lee replied, “Of course, whatever you want, sweet pea. I’m sorry they don’t see what I see in you, you know.” He got to his feet with a groan. “Oof, my knees. You armed, Clem?”

Upon the shake of her head, he clicked his tongue and pulled out a pocket knife, handing it to her handle-first.

“You weren’t kidding about those people not treating you right, huh? Here, you can use this until we find you a real weapon; can’t practice shooting if you ain’t got anything to shoot with.”

By God, had she missed him.

Being with Kenny was... _ great _ , but he was no Lee, and they both knew it.

“Fair warning, they might not believe you’re not injected after seeing your arm so be prepared to fight them off - or break out of a makeshift jail cell,” she remarked as she started down the steps.

“I suppose I shouldn’t be surprised given what you told me, but they’re that rash, huh?”

“They’d be okay if they weren’t so stupid.”

He chuckled, right behind her on the landing steps.

“That’s not very nice, Clem,” he said, his voice only ever so slightly scolding, and she smiled, knowing he wasn’t really upset. He used the same tone whenever he caught her playing pranks on Duck.

“It’s true! You’ll see, I promise.” She looked over her shoulder, making sure he was still right on her heels. Of course, he would never be anywhere but by her side. “Come on, they should be back this way.”

If not for Kenny being back there, she might have said ‘to hell with them’ and urged Lee to just leave. 

But alas, he had taught her better than that, and that was for the best; honestly, she did not think the cabin group would survive on their own. Frankly, it was a miracle that they even survived this long, given how they had dropped like flies once out of their cozy little sanctuary. 

“Are they really all that bad?” Lee asked her, breaking the silence. 

Clem shrugged. 

“I think they want to pretend everything is fine when it isn’t,” she replied. “But some are better than others, I guess.”

She thought of Sarah, of how scared and naive she was; maybe that would change with age and experience out here, maybe not.

She thought of Luke, dumb and reckless, yet hopeful and determined for a better world. 

She thought of Jane, level-headed and strong, but too self-reliant to function in groups like theirs.

“Yeah, some are better than others,” she repeated, humming. 

If she could get them to take off their rose-colored glasses, they could be good group members to have. But if not, she would live (and definitely longer than they would).

Should she go ahead and warn them she was bringing someone back? 

...nah.

(Besides, a part of her was terrified if she let Lee out of her sight, he would disappear again.)

“Oh, good, Clementine, you’re back - whoa, get down, who is that behind you?” Luke demanded, leveling his gun above her head. 

His shout alerted the others, back from looking for supplies for Rebecca, and they huddled together at the fountain. Well, most of them.

“Lee…?” Kenny, who had been helping support Rebecca, stepped forward, pure awe all over his face. “It can’t be.”

Clem smiled brightly, looking over her shoulder at her father. 

(And, yes, that was what he was, surrogate or not.)

“But it is!” She exclaimed, and he gave her a kind smile in return. “Everyone, this is Lee. I met him before Kenny; he’s taken care of me since the beginning.”

Luke warily lowered his gun, but nodded. 

“I see...I’m Luke,” he said, letting them approach the others. He watched as Lee clasped hands with Kenny, who seemed quite emotional. “I don’t suppose you know anything about childbirth?”

“Hold on, we’re just letting this man in?” Bonnie cut in, stepping in front of Clem before she could join her dads. “Clem, honey, just because you know him doesn’t mean you owe him-”

“He’s staying,” Clem said sharply, making the redheaded woman jump back in surprise. “And I think it’s you guys I don’t owe anything to.”

She never asked to be picked up and rushed to the cabin, only to be dropped and locked up; she never asked to be dragged into their personal problems. 

“Clem, honey,” began Lee, voice soft despite the slight shock in his tone, “I don’t think she meant-”

“No, Clem’s right, Lee,” interrupted Kenny, looking back at the cabin group. “They ain’t exactly the fighting type we’re used to.”

There was an awkward silence for a moment, the two groups staring off at each other, the tension thick enough to cut through, and then Rebecca groaned in pain, and Clem remembered why she was out there alone in the first place.

“We need to get her somewhere secure,” said Kenny, immediately returning to her side as she hunched over. “Clem, you find anything?”

“We should take her back to the gift shop,” replied Clem, nodding. “It’s on this deck, so it’ll be easy to look out for anyone.”

Lee came to the other side of Rebecca, helping Kenny guide her, as he looked up at the people just standing around.

“You heard her, get a move on,” he said, and the others, unsure of what else to do, scrambled to get the remaining supplies. 

“Did you give her a gun?” Kenny asked, looking over Rebecca’s head at his old friend. “Afraid I don’t got any spares.”

“No, but she’s got a knife to use for now,” assured Lee, “unless you want to switch, sweet pea?”

As funny as it would be to watch the others blanche at her being armed and loaded, she knew her aim was still a work in progress, so she shook her head. 

“Maybe later,” she said, looking forward to the chance to learn more from him anyways.

“That hardly seems very appropriate,” said Bonnie, voice full of disapproval. “She’s just a little girl-”

“A little girl you locked in a shed overnight,”” interrupted Lee, glancing back over his shoulder with a cool gaze. “She didn’t prove how she was capable enough for you back then?”

Flushing as red as her hair, Bonnie defensively said, “I ain’t got nothing to do with that, so I wouldn’t know.”

“No, suppose not, but you just led a damn cult leader to her and the people she was with, am I right?” Lee clicked his tongue. “Y’all act like you’re looking out for her best interests as a little kid, but have any of you even asked her what she thinks?”

“Have you?” Jane cut in from the back of the group. “I mean, you just show up here and expect us to blindly follow you, listen to you?”

“You know what?” Kenny began, only to be stopped by Rebecca’s groan of pain. “This ain’t good for the baby. We gotta hurry.”

Clem glanced back at the cabin group, making eye contact with a few of them, and then made a point of stepping closer to Lee.

It was no contest on who she’d rather be with, and they were going to learn that quick, whether they liked it or not.

And if for some reason, they didn’t, they were not going to last long without her and her dads, and that was a fact.


End file.
